Odysseus Contest “Engage and Inspire the European Youth in the Space Exploration through a Scientific Contest” Career Path in Space Career Path in Space

Contents

Scope of the document 5 Introduction 5 What kind of jobs are available? 6 What do scientists say about their work? 16 Interview with a NASA Astronaut 2 2 Editors Space summer Schools and Space Camps 2 3 References 2 5

ELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI

Tsourlidaki Eleftheria

Dr. Sofoklis Sotiriou

SPACE EXPO

Marieke Hohnen

Leo Van den Bogaert

Design

ELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI

Sylvia Pentheroudaki

The Odysseus project is supported financially by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). This document reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Scope of the document What kind of jobs are available?

The purpose of this document is to describe career opportunities in space for students. The handbook includes brief descrip- Astronauts are probably the first people you tions of occupations that are directly connected with space exploration so a reader may get an overall idea of what kind of think of when you think of a career in space. occupations are involved in space exploration. Moreover, the handbook also includes interviews from leading professionals But in reality, they are only one of the many, in space as well as brief descriptions of space summer camps and summer schools that students may be interested in many people working in the space industry. learning about. There are people who design the spacecraft, people who build the spacecraft, people re- We would like to thank Nicolas Altobelli, Christopher S Arridge, Inge Loes ten Kate and Martha Kusterer, for giving us the searching the best fuel, people making sure interviews included in this document. the life support system works, and people developing the food that astronauts will eat in space, to name but a few. In order to give you Introduction an idea of the career opportunities in the field of space, we have gathered information about It is not by accident that when people ask little children what they would like to be when they grow up one of the most com- the most common jobs in space exploration mon answers they get is “Astronaut”. However there are many occupations involved in space exploration besides astro- and what they involve. Credit: ESA nauts. So what kind of jobs are out there and what does it take to work in space exploration? Figure 2. The Herschel telescope

People that work in space exploration are basically scientists and engineers. They share some common characteristics but their Engineers and Technicians background studies vary significantly. Besides their love in matters Engineers and Technicians are responsible for designing, developing, and testing the building of space crafts and their dif- that have to do with space and the universe in general, some of the ferent components (e.g. craft guidance systems, control and navigations systems or tools for communication) that are es- common characteristics they share are that they enjoyed math and sential for the functioning of the aircraft or spacecraft. When there is a need for a new product, the engineers are the ones science since they were in school and they usually are very curious to do it. They design and test the parts; they put them all together and test to see how successful their final product is. Part about how the world around them works. Enjoying using comput- of their work includes writing reports about the components they make.1 ers and doing experiments are also characteristics that we may find across most people working in space exploration. The aerospace industry has, over the years, gained major importance. Aerospace engineering is not a distinct branch of science. All its important basic concepts are imported from other branches of engineering. Besides space exploration, aero- Since there are many kinds of jobs involved in space exploration, when space engineers also develop technologies that are used in civilian transportation and defence systems.2 it comes to education and background studies there are many different paths that one can follow, depending on one’s character and interests. Different parts of aircrafts and space crafts are built by different aerospace engineering areas and the engineers and techni- What is certain is that the minimum education that such a career re- cians that make them require different practical training and knowledge. All these areas and specialties are equally impor- quires is a bachelor’s degree in a related subject. In order to get an idea Credit: ESA tant constructing a fully functioning aircraft or spacecraft. 2 of the different jobs and their requirements we have put together some Figure 1. The “Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circu- descriptions of the most common jobs involved in space exploration. lation Explorer” (GOCE) being moved for final testing.

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Some different kinds of engineers and technicians in the field of aeronautics are: Besides the examples listed above, there are many other kinds of engineers (such as petroleum engineers, chemical en- gineers and robotic engineers) involved in the space industry. There are also many different kinds of technicians involved, Software engineers write the software that is used in automated systems and contain the necessary instructions for assisting the engineers and maintaining all the equipment. space crafts and satellites to follow and to perform the correct manoeuvres. Software Engineers identify the tasks that need to be automated and create the programmes that perform the functions desired by the users of the system. The Software What training is necessary? Engineer will test the system to make sure it works the way it is supposed to work.3 - Take as many math, science and computer programming classes as possible in high school. Engineering courses are Mechanical engineers generally plan and design engines, machines and other equipment. They construct and test the also very useful. parts of machines and make sure that the final product works properly. Among other things, they are also responsible for 4 the scientific equipment and the wiring in aircraft and robots. - To beco me an engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from a college or university. To do research, a Ph.D. is highly desired for such a position. Electronics Engineers are responsible for the design and production of electrical and electronic. Some of the parts that Electronics Engineers are responsible for are scientific instruments, motors, wiring in buildings, aircraft, radar, computers, - To become a technician, you can take a course in engineering or aerospace technology from a college or technical 5 robots and video equipment. school. Some companies in the aerospace industry also offer on-the-job training programs. Aerospace engineers design, develop, test and oversee the building of aircrafts, spacecraft and propulsion systems and space flight mission paths.6

Materials engineers develop and test new types of materials (metallic and non-metallic) for use in aerospace systems and vehicles. They make sure the materials have the right properties (such as strength and heat resistance).7

Nuclear engineers use their knowl- edge about nuclear energy to solve en- gineering problems and develop equip- ment used to process nuclear fuels and the nuclear propulsion systems used in some spacecrafts.8

Engineering Technician facilitate engineers and scientists by setting up or installing equipment, testing, maintain- ing and repairing equipment, conducting experiments, recording results, writing design plans and running tests. They Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2011 also gather data from various sources Figure 4. In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellite assembled and tested by Thales Alenia like field notes, design books and lab re- Credit: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Space. ports. They are also responsible for look- Figure 3. A view inside the flyby spacecraft showing electronics panels and the tele- ing at the data and report any errors or communications deck (top) all of which will control and operate the spacecraft. The inconsistent data.9 engineer’s head will be replaced by the fuel tank.

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Scientists Medical doctors screen astronauts to make sure they are in optimal health before their departure. They also monitor astronaut’s health during the flight. Many scientists choose to pursue research and development careers in space science. For example, pharmacology re- Meteorologists study the weather and climate. They assist air traffic control by making predictions about the weather. searchers are investigating ways to develop new medications This is very important for launches of spacecraft. from substances discovered during space exploration trips. Sci- Nutritionists make sure the menu of the astronauts during their trip is healthy and nutritious. 21 entists working for space agencies may have different expertise and work on different fields; mission operation, project support, Mathematicians and statisticians use math to help solve scientific and engineering problems. Applied Mathemati- scientific coordinators or research and development. There are cians for example help to create new models of aerodynamic behaviour of a spacecraft. They use math rules and processes opportunities in space science for scientists who specialize in a to solve scientific, engineering and business problems. These problems might include studying and designing computer wide variety of fields, including: Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2011 models that help to create faster and higher aerospace vehicles and systems.14

Figure 5. Upper Composite transfer to launch zone Social scientists study how people behave and function in aerospace environments. Astronauts working on long mis- sions face stressful work conditions and a cramped living environment, so predicting where problems might arise and Astrophysicists study celestial objects like galaxies and stars in order to understand what they are made of, what their minimizing them is an important task. surface features are and how they were formed. Astrophysicists spend most of their time in observatories, laboratories and offices analysing the information gathered by instruments like as telescopes, satellites, sensors and probes. Theoretical What training is necessary? astrophysicists also spend time forming theories about how objects in space are formed or structured. Astrophysicist’s involved in observational astrophysics mostly spend time making observations with instruments. This may require travel to - Take as many math, science (physics, chemistry, biology geology, astronomy, electronics) and computer programming 10 faraway locations. Astrophysicists work a lot with computer simulations and computer programming. courses as possible in high school.

Geophysicists and Geologists study the terrain and geological activity and other physical features (e.g. gravity mag- - To become a scientist, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in the relevant subject from a college or university. netic field, internal heat and energy) of earth and other planets. They collect data and take measurements and they use the laws of physics to explore deep within a planet’s interior and to examine a planet’s surface and atmosphere. They also use - To do research, a Ph.D. is usually necessary. their knowledge to search for minerals and petroleum. They often work in laboratories using data and imagery returned by spacecraft. Planetary geologists often work in space science in conjunction with government groups such as NASA. Students specializing in this field study topics such as astrobiology and remote sensing within geology programs. They also work with computers to create models of planetary processes.11,12

Astrobiologists study life in the universe. They basically study how life began and evolved, they search for life elsewhere in the universe and they try to predict the future for life on Earth and beyond. Astrobiologists need to understand how many different kinds of science work together. These kinds of science may include biology microbiology, botany, physiology, zool- ogy, chemistry, physics, geology, paleontology, and astronomy. They usually work in laboratories and use microscopes, computers, and other equipment. Some use plants and animals for experiments.13

Chemists can find a number of career opportunities in the field of space exploration. Often, positions in this field require knowledge of multiple scientific disciplines, so chemists should expect to know or learn about other areas of science. Chemists may do research on fuel, but also into catalysts necessary for flights, and chemical composition of other planets.

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Astronauts Managers and support professionals Lots of children’s dream of being an astronaut but may not real- Next to the engineers, technicians, scientists and astronauts, there are many other jobs in the space industry. A few are ize how intense the program is or what the actual responsibilities listed below: are. An astronaut boards a spacecraft to fly on missions for very specific purposes. Astronauts work as part of a crew and therefore Writers help explain the missions to the press and general public. have specific responsibilities aboard the spacecraft. Web developers develop websites for space agencies. Astronauts fly to various destinations to conduct research and ex- Educators develop lessons about space for schools, and provide teachers with training. periments. Before doing so however, they must pass certain phys- ical requirements as well as comprehensive academic and mental Project managers make sure a project runs according to schedule and budget, and achieves its goal. They lead a exams and go through intense training to prepare for these space team of people, dividing tasks, making a planning, reviewing and assessing the project. missions. Astronauts’ focus and responsibilities change according to the mission they get and the role they will play as a part of the What training is necessary? spacecraft’s crew. Responsibilities range from a mission specialist Credit: NASA to a commander and they include the safety of the spacecraft and This depends heavily on the job. Project managers need experience in the type of projects they lead. Educators need a the crew. The rank of an astronaut among the crew depends on Figure 6. Anchored to the International Space Station’s background in science and education. his/her experience. The higher the rank, the more responsibilities robot arm, STS-123 Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan the astronaut has. participates in a spacewalk outside the orbital outpost.

As missions always vary in focus and environment, astronauts must go through different training for each mission. For all missions however training involves certain preparation that ensures that astronauts will maintain appropriate physical shape, as that comes into play for successfully flying on the spacecraft and carrying out the missions.15

What training is necessary?

Many astronauts have advanced degrees. The minimum educational requirement for an astronaut is a bachelor’s degree in a space-related focus, such as math, biology or some other form of science, engineering, or even psychology.

The training program is the most intense part of the requirement for astronauts as they must be in excellent physical shape. They must pass physical exams to be selected for a mission. Astronauts must follow a very stringent training program as that involves comprehension exams, physical exams, and tests knowledge and abilities in a variety of different areas. Pass- ing these exams and the overall training program is an extremely important measure to meet. Astronauts are trained in simulation exercises so that they can get the feel of being in space, and so that they are prepared for the work that lies ahead of them. Initial and ongoing training is an extremely important part of the job as an astronaut. 15 Credit: ESA

Figure 7. ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (left) during a parabolic flight in 2011.

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People in Mission Control Centre: Here is a list of people who work in a NASA Mission Control Room:

The People Behind the Astronauts Flight Director: Responsible for overall Shuttle mission and payload operations.

This article has been produced by NASA17 Spacecraft Communicator: Communications link between flight control and astronauts. Flight Dynamics Officer: Pronounced “fido” -- plans maneuvers and monitors trajectory. Scientists that work in mission operation are the people Guidance Procedures Officer: Monitors onboard navigation and guidance computer software. behind astronauts. They work in the Mission Control Cen- ter (MCC) which is the hub of control that oversees crucial Data Processing System (Engineer): Monitors the data processing system of computers. aspects of every human space flight. Shuttle MCC workers Surgeon: A medical doctor on staff. only spend about 10 percent of their time controlling mis- sions. Seventy-five percent of their time is spent planning Booster Engineer: Monitors the main engine, Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank from pre-launch to ascent phases of missions. and organizing, and 15 percent is devoted to their own train- Payload Deploy Retrieval System: Monitors operation of the remote manipulator system. ing and education. For Space Station missions, the amount of real time spent on missions is considerably larger since Propulsion Engineer: Monitors reaction control and orbital maneuvering propellants. the project runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 Guidance, Navigation and Controls System Engineer: Monitors vehicle guidance and navigation systems. days a year. “Besides managers, Mission Control is divided Credit: NASA into flight-control and ground-team workers,” said William Electrical, Environmental and Consumables Manager: Responsible for passive and active thermal controls of the vehicle, cabin atmosphere, supply systems and fire detection. Figure 8. Flight controllers watch the big screens from Foster, an MCC ground controller. The ground team gathers their consoles data from the spacecraft and launch facilities and the flight Electrical Generation and Illumination Engineer: Monitors electrical systems. control team then analyzes that data to make decisions on how best to proceed. “As a team, we generate procedures, which are Instrumentation and Communications Officer: Monitors in-flight communications and instrumentation systems. rules and conditions for response. We have generic procedures that are in place for every launch and mission-specific proce- dures that are tailored for a very specific situation. Every flight brings new situations, and sometimes we find we need to modify Russian Interface Operator: Liaison between U.S. and Russian Control teams. procedures that are already in place. It’s always changing.” In order to be prepared to help astronauts in any situation that could Ground Controller: Responsible for telemetry and command in the MCC arise, MCC workers go through simulations with the astronauts and the training team. During the simulations, where workers and directs maintenance and operation activities. practice responses, an unexpected event might be thrown in to surprise everyone. This anomaly, called a simfault, requires fast thinking and logical responses. “A simfault could be a malfunctioning piece of equipment or it could be a major disaster situa- Flight Activities Officer: Plans crew activities. tion,” said Foster. “The way the workers respond shows us how we need to prepare in case the real thing should ever happen.” Payloads Officer: Coordinates activities involving the payload

If you ever see a scene from the Shuttle Mission Control Center you may notice that each console is identified with an acronym that Maintenance, Mechanical, Arm and Crew Systems: Monitors the Orbit- doesn’t make much sense unless you know what it stands for. Each person represented there plays a crucial role in the success of er’s structural and mechanical system. Credit: NASA a space mission. There is a list with an explanation of each MCC acronym included later in this article. Public Affairs Officer: Provides commentary and mission information to the media and public. Figure 9.The members of the STS-124 ascent flight Astronaut support doesn’t stop with Mission Control. “There are thousands of people all around the country supporting the astro- control team pose for a portrait in the space shuttle flight nauts,” Foster said. “Mission Control is the visible part, but it’s less than 1 percent of the support team. We’re just the tip of the iceberg.” Mission Operations Directorate Manager: Link from the Flight Control control room in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Room to top NASA and JSC mission operations directorate management. Johnson Space Center.

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Employers What do scientists say about their work?

So you have decided that you want a career in the space industry. Which companies or agencies could you work for? The best way to find out what an occupation is like and how you may follow a similar career is to ask the experts. To this end we have interviewed four researchers that work in space programmesand asked them questions that came from students. National space agencies Nicolas Altobelli - ESA Project Scientist for Cassini - Liaison Scientist for Rosetta Many countries have a national space agency. These agencies run research programs, exploration missions, earth obser- vation missions ansd human spaceflight missions. Here are some examples: “My main research area deals with the physics of small bodies in the Solar System in various ESA (European Space Agency) The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development environments. This emcompasses the study of dust particles of interplanetary or interstellar of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. origin by in-situ detectors flown on various esa/nasa missions, as well as the remote sensing Website: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html of planetary discs. In particular, the study of thermal properties of Saturn’s rings using data from the Cassini/Cirs infrared spectrometer is currently a major aspect of my research.” DLR (Germany) DLR is Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development Figure 10. Nicolas Altobelli work in aeronautics, space, transportation, energy, defence and security research is integrated into national and international co- operative ventures. As Germany’s Space Agency, the German federal government has given DLR responsibility for the forward What inspired you into following this career? Did you have something like this in your mind even since you were a planning and implementation of the German space programme as well as international representation of Germany’s interests. student? Website:http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10443/637_read-251/ “I was a student at the french so-called ‘Grandes Ecoles’, following a general education in mathematics, physics and engineer- ing. The idea to join the space sector for a career came after the first year of my study, and I was sure of my choice after a CNES (France) Founded in 1961, the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) is the government agency responsible for traineeship at the former Daimler Aerospace in Germany. My main goal was at that time to study abroad. I had the opportu- shaping and implementing France’s space policy in Europe. Its task is to invent the space systems of the future, bring space nity to finish my study in Germany, in the frame of an inter-university agreement. From this point, I had the chance to do my technologies to maturity and guarantee France’s independent access to space. CNES is a pivotal player in Europe’s space master thesis at the ESA/ESOC center in Darmstadt, working on my first science related topic: Interstellar Dust as measured programme, and a major source of initiatives and proposals that aim to maintain France and Europe’s competitive edge. by the Ulysses Spacecraft. I got so interested by these first steps in astrophysics that I took the offer from my master thesis Website: http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/3773-about-cnes.php supervisor to do a PhD in Physics/Astrophysics at the University of Heidelberg. From there, I had clearly in mind the idea to NASA (U.S.A.) NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA was started in 1958 as a part of the work later on scientific missions exploring the Solar System. I therefore applied and obtained a NASA postdoctoral fellowship United States government. NASA is in charge of U.S. science and technology that has to do with airplanes or space. at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which was for me like a dream becoming true! I think this experience of research Website: http://www.nasa.gov/ while staying close to the project work involved in space missions played an important role in my future selection for an ESA scientist position.” Commercial space industry Companies in the commercial space industry manufacture components for communication satellites, jet engines for rockets, or What are the pros and cons of your job? What gives you the most pleasure and which is the most challenging part? communication systems. Recently there are also companies emerging offering trips to space to tourists. If you are interested in “The pros of my work are the proximity to the Scientific Community on one side, as well as the possibility to carry on research looking what space industries are out there you may visit the following website: http://space-industry.com/directory/ on the topics of my choice, with a great opportunity for collaborations. It is also fantastic to see all aspects, including the mana- gerial ones, leading to the realization of a Space Missions. The mostchallenging part is certainly the sometimes delicate com- University or other research institutions munication required with different instrument teams (external to ESA), to make sure that no major conflict arise, or to be able to find a solution satisfactory to everyone if conflicts cannot be avoided.” Universities and research institutions are primarily involved in research. This could be research into planets outside our solar system, the formation of stars, or the effects of acceleration and deceleration on the human body. There are many institutions

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What kind of studies and skills should someone have in order to follow a career like yours? Did you attend any special planets and universe. The work is challenging because you often have to solve problems which might involve coming up with courses or participate in any space or science related contests as a student? clever or new ways of looking at things. This is quite a creative process that I don’t think I was every prepared for. One negative “I did not participate to any special course, summer school nor contest. I think it is important to have patience and determina- aspect is that when you first start as a scientist the jobs are only temporary, lasting for a year or two at most, so there is an tion. The study should obviously be a scientific one, while staying curious of everything.” amount of uncertainty early in your career.”

What advice would you give to a young student that aspires to follow a similar career path? What kind of studies and skills should someone have in order to follow a career like yours? Did you attend any special “I found important in particular to keep ones mind open to other fields and not only work always on one very same topic. This courses or participate in any space or science related contests as a student? makes the skills broader and train adaptability. In any case, I would strongly advise to study or work abroad for a few years.” “Mathematics is a key skill which all scientists need – not just some pure mathematics but also the skills to treat data properly. You must be able to read and write mathematics and be skilled at using mathematics to solve problems. I have found my Could you give us a brief story related to your work that played a key role to your professional development that would software engineering training to be immensely useful to me in my career. I would also emphasize writing and presentation inspire the students? skills. Being able to communicate your science is very important. “Maybe just an anecdote: the day the ESA Huygens probe (carried by the Cassini orbiter) landed on Titan was for me the day of As an undergraduate I spent one summer as a researcher at the Anglo Australian Observatory in Sydney, Australia which was quite my arrival in the US for the first time, to start my postdoctoral fellowship at JPL, which was a key to my future career develop- influential in shaping my career for the following few years. I also learnt valuable skills related to working on my own and directing ment. Both of us had landed on unknown territory, but we would soon start working hard to make the best out of the situation! “ my own research. I was also a European exchange student in the ERASMUS scheme – spending the final semester of my under- graduate degree in the arctic circle on the Svalbard archipelago studying atmospheric and space science.” Christopher S Arridge - Research Fellow

“I carry out research into the space environments of the planets in our solar system and What advice would you give to a young student that aspires to follow a similar career path? what we might find at planets and stars further out in the universe. Most of my work in- “Keep your options open – don’t try to focus too narrowly. See the benefit in “soft-skills” such as being able to communicate volves the NASA Cassini mission to Saturn. I also work on designing future space missions your science. You will spend a lot of your time writing so develop your language skills – especially if English is not your first out into our solar system. Part of my job also involves teaching students at all ages in their language. Try to do something in your summer break that is related to space – so find a summer placement where you can career.” do real science. There are a number of schemes locally, within Europe, and worldwide that you can apply to. This will give you real-world research experience which will set you apart from the crowd.” What inspired you into following this career? Did you have something like this in your mind even since you were a student? Could you give us a brief story related to your work that played a key role to your professional development that would “I was always interested in space and astronomy but I actually started out my career train- Figure 11. Christopher S. Arridge inspire the students? ing to be a software engineer – I wanted to work in the computer games industry. However, “In 2010 the European Space Agency called for proposals describing new space missions. Although I was at a very early stage I started to get interested in Artificial Intelligence and an academic career and was influenced by some of my mentors who in my career I ended up developing a proposal for a mission to Uranus which involved leading 163 scientists from the across showed me what it meant to be a scientist and inspired me with stories of famous scientists. This is what inspired me to enter the world who contributed to the proposal. Although the proposal was not ultimately selected, it was very highly rated by the the physical sciences, but for many years I wanted to work in string theory and other aspects of theoretical physics. But I real- selection panel. So 12 years after starting my undergraduate degree I was leading a large international group of scientists in ized that I enjoyed studying the planets and so took a PhD in space science.” trying to get us to return to Uranus.”

What are the pros and cons of your job? What gives you the most pleasure and which is the most challenging part? “The good things in my job are that I get to discover new things and think of new ways to explore our solar system. I also get to travel a lot all around the world and have a lot of flexibility in when and where I do my work. The thing I find the most plea- surable is telling the public and young people about the work that I do and the most recent things we’ve found out about the

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Inge Loes ten Kate - PhD (Dr. (Ir.)) - Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Earth Sciences - Faculty of What advice would you give to a young student that aspires to follow a similar career path? Geosciences - Utrecht University “Work hard and connect with people. Go talk to people and try to define what you find interesting. Not only long term, but also short term. Then approach people and explain them what you want to do and why. Especially good short term ideas are perfect to get “After defending my thesis I got the opportunity to work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the involved and to get internships for example. Also, if an opportunity arises that is just flat out cool, go for it. Right now there may not be SAM (Sample Anaysis at Mars) team, with Paul Mahaffy. There I got involved in the contamination a clear link to your future dream, but in a later stage a lot of things can turn out to help define yourself.” control work for SAM and joined the team that is currently developing VAPoR, a pyrolysis mass spectrometer (a simplefied version of SAM) for deployment on future lunar and asteroid missions. Could you give us a brief story related to your work that played a key role to your professional development that would With 4.5 years of expertise in the field of instrument development, I realized that organics on Mars inspire the students? need much more study than has been done so far, especially in the light of upcoming and future “When I was at a conference in my second year of my PhD, I met a professor from the University of Michigan who suggested missions that will look for organics as possible biomarkers. Now, I’m back at academia working Figure 12. Inge Loes ten Kate I’d contacted a group at NASA Goddard, since he thought I would be a good fit for them. That was the first time I realized that on answering all my scientific questions about organics on Mars and the Early Earth.” my dream to work at NASA good actually become real. That gave me the confidence that I was on the right track and the motivation for the rest of my PhD.” What inspired you into following this career? Did you have something like this in your mind even since you were a student? Martha Kusterer - Senior Staff Software Engineer “I wanted to work in “space” since I was about 6 and when I was 10 years old I rote an essay at elementary school about my future. “I am Inge Loes ten Kate, I am 10years old. After elementary school I want to study Aerospace Engineering and work for NASA”. “I am currently the Lead Ground Software Engineer for the MIMI Instrument on the Cassini In that same time there were a number of events that definitely shapedmy future: The first Dutch astronaut was launched in spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Saturn. As the ground software lead, I am in charge of 1985 (WubboOckels), Halley’s comet flew by, there was a big space exhibit(Space86) in the Netherlands, and the Challenger MIMI’s multi-platform analysis and processing software design, development, maintenance, exploded. Apart from these events, my parents we very keen on showing useverything they could and took us to all kinds of data production and provide science team support. I am also the Science Operations Center musea and exhibits you can imagine. Combined with my father’s interest for space, thishelped tremendously as well.” Coordinator for the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft, which will orbit the Sun. I facilitate informa- tion flow between the instrument and the spacecraft teams and coordinate multi-instrument science operations center software tools.” What are the pros and cons of your job? What gives you the most pleasure and which is the most challenging part? Figure 13. Martha Kusterer “After 5 years working for NASA I just recently returned to the academic world. What gives me the most pleasure is that I can What inspired you into following this career? Did you have something like this in your mind even since you were a keep learning and studying on new ideas and that get to work with students and teach. The most challenging is too balance all student? the things I like to do: work, public outreach, personal life.” “I started working in a very different field than software. I obtained a biology degree and worked at a clinical laboratory as a medical technologist. I have always been fascinated by how things work and found I wanted to know more about the instru- What kind of studies and skills should someone have in order to follow a career like yours? Did you attend any special mentation that I used at the laboratory. I returned to school to study biomedical engineering and medical imaging instrumenta- courses or participate in any space or science related contests as a student? tion and then found my position as a software engineer. I found that my study of medical instrumentation translated very well “I have a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in Astronomy. In my case the combination between engineer- to spacecraft instrumentation.” ing and science has enabled to work at NASA and help develop instruments for space flight. Since I am able to speak both engineering and science languages it makes communicating with both parties much easier. I did not participate in any sum- What are the pros and cons of your job? What gives you the most pleasure and which is the most challenging part? mer school or contest as student, unfortunately, I would have loved to do that. I once tried to get into space camp, but was too “One of the greatest pros of my job is the opportunity to learn new things. I get bored easily and there is always a new software young to travel to the US by myself (11 years old). language to learn, challenging software design to create or new instrumentation to learn. I have found that the scientists I work However, during my MS I went to a conference, which resulted in ainternship at Arianespace, and during my PhD I want to with really enjoy explaining how the instrumentation works and the physics of the experiment. numerousconferences and meetings there again led to my job at NASA.”

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The work I do is usually very interesting, and can be really exciting. As the ground software lead, I am part of the instrument Interview with a NASA Astronaut1 operations team. When the Cassini spacecraft launched and the MIMI instrument turned on, the MIMI operations team was all together monitoring the data coming from the spacecraft. We watched the data coming from MIMI as it turned on and booted Commander Mark Polansky up for the first time. We were pretty excited! I worked with the operations team leader and instrument engineer to make sure the data connections were working and they could monitor the instrument using its data. As a child, Mark Polansky followed the NASA missions that enabled humans to land on the A big pro in the software field, is that pursuing more education is encouraged and typically paid for. moon, and his career path was set. Today, he’s playing a role in the missions that will make it There are some cons to my work, not all software tasks are riveting, and sometimes we have to work odd hours and week- possible for humans to return to the moon. ends to support operations or get access to frequently used instrumentation.” “When I was growing up, it was way back in the ‘60s. It was the beginning of human space- What kind of studies and skills should someone have in order to follow a career like yours? Did you attend any special flight, and I got pretty excited,” he said. “Back then, when I was in school and there would be courses or participate in any space or science related contests as a student? a launch, they would stop classes, roll in a little black-and-white TV, and you’d get to watch everything live. And like any kid, you say, ‘Hey, I want to be an astronaut when I grow up!’ I “The best preparation for space science software would be to take all the physics, engineering and math that you can. I would sort of just never outgrew that.” also include some software classes and if your university offers any space science classes that would be a plus. I was able to find part time work in the biomedical department of my university participating in medical imaging research and it lead to my Credit: NASA Polansky began making that dream a reality when he was in college at Purdue University. master’s thesis work.” Among the school’s graduates are the first and last men to walk on the moon, Neil Arm- Figure 14. Commander Mark strong and Gene Cernan. Polansky met Cernan when the Apollo 17 commander visited the Polansky What advice would you give to a young student that aspires to follow a similar career path? school. It made the idea of becoming an astronaut seem like a realistic goal. “There are so many opportunities to learn about the science field on the web! I would encourage you to study the public out- reach sites at the major space science centers. There is so much information available on the spacecraft design, operation and “I got to meet Gene Cernan during a visit back in the dorm I was at, and it got me thinking, ‘You know, this is something that payload instruments. It might be possible for you to ask your school science teachers to help you find an independent school a guy could do,’” he said. “And then, I got to thinking about the background of the astronauts. I eventually started to pursue Air project or science fair project based on some of the information that you find.” Force ROTC and a career in the Air Force.”

Polansky earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue and became an Air Force test pilot. In 1992, he went to Could you give us a brief story related to your work that played a key role to your professional development that would work for NASA as an aerospace engineer and research pilot. While he was not yet an astronaut, his main job was to teach inspire the students? astronauts to land the space shuttle and fly T-38 trainer jets. In 1996, NASA selected Polansky as an astronaut. Five years “My curiosity about the medical instrumentation that I worked on at my first job, led me on the path to my current career. I later he flew his first shuttle mission. The STS-98 flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis was an early visit to the International learned that your first position isn’t always the one you end up staying in. If you find it isn’t right for you, figure out what is in- Space Station. The crew of that mission added the U.S. laboratory Destiny to the station. Now, almost six years later, Polan- teresting to you and how you can learn about it. By enthusiastically pursuing education, I ended up with a career that is really sky is returning to the station to continue its assembly. But while adding a segment to the station’s backbone truss is the interesting and at times downright exciting.” immediate goal of the mission, the long-term goal is to help pave the way for the future of exploration. You may find other interesting interviews from people who work in space programmes in the following website: “I don’t see us proceeding on when we haven’t finished what we’ve started,” he said. “We need to go ahead and finish comple- http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/careers/i-work-in-space tion of the International Space Station. And once that’s all done, then hopefully we’ll be in a position that we’ll be looking forward to a crew exploration vehicle, launching that successfully, going back to the moon, moving on to bigger and better things with Mars. I just see this as a continuation, a process that gets us farther and farther along the road to exploration.”

You may find more Astronauts’ Interviews in NASA’s website: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_STS116_Astronaut_Interviews.html

1: This interview was taken from the NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_Commander_Mark_Polansky.html Interview Credit: David Hitt/NASA Educational Technology Services 20 21 Career Path in Space Career Path in Space

Space summer Schools and Space Camps Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP) Mission 3 to the International Space Station There are several space summer schools and space Camps in Europe and in the United States that give the opportunity Launched in June 2010, SSEP immerses typically 300 students across a community in real scientific research of their own to students who are interested to participate in innovative and exciting activities that allow them to step into the shoes of design, using a highly captivating spaceflight opportunity on the International Space Station (ISS), America’s newest Na- astronauts and scientists and get a first – hand idea of how it is to work in space programmes. Below you may find a list of tional Laboratory. SSEP is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education immersion program that some of these activities along with a brief description. provides a truly authentic research experience on the high frontier. Websites: http://ssep.ncesse.org/2012/04/announcing-new-ssep-flight-opportunity-mission-3-to-the-international-space- European Space Camp station-for-the-2012-2013-academic-year/ Every year the European Space Camp (ESC) is held at Andoya Rocket Range in Norway for students aged between 17 and http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html 20 years old. During the space camp, students go through every aspect of a rocket campaign, including building an internal circuitry for a rocket, telemetry, and launching a full-fledged sounding rocket at the end of the week. Participants attend lec- Camp Kennedy Space Center® tures from some of Europe’s top scientists and researchers on topics as diverse as the LHC at CERN to the physics behind At Camp Kennedy Space Center (KSC), young people experience, imagine and interact through space shuttle mission simu- the Northern Lights. At the end of an unforgettable week, a multitude of social activities await the participants, including a lations, tours of Kennedy Space Center and the chance to witness first-hand the everyday challenges faced by astronauts. It whale safari, mountain hiking and swimming under the midnight sun. all adds up to an inspiring week of fun and enriching space activities. Website: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEMPEGNXDXG_0.html Website: http://kennedyspacecenter.com/sp-camp-kennedy-space-center.aspx

Alpbach Summer School Virginia Space Flight Academy Held annually since 1975, the Alpbach Summer School enjoys a long tradition in providing in-depth teaching on different top- If you are 11-15 years old, interested in spaceships, aerodynamics, microgravity, robotics, rocket assembly and launching, ics of space science and technology with the aim of advancing the training and working experience of European graduates, and weather, then Space Flight Adventure Camp is the place to be this summer!All programs are a mixture of excitement post-graduate students, young scientists and engineers. and fun, with hands-on experiences. Come and meet new friends and enjoy the adventure of learning about space. Website: http://www.vaspaceflightacademy.org/ The purpose of the summer school is to foster the practical application of knowledge derived from lectures, to develop or- ganizational and team-work skills and to encourage creativity. Teams will compete to design the best project, judged by an independent jury of experts. Website: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEM8EK3Z2OF_0_ov.html

ESA Earth Observation Summer School ESA organizes a series of summer schools on Monitoring of the Earth System to promote the exploitation of Earth Observa- tion EO data across disciplines, with a specific focus on their assimilation into Earth System models.

The two-week course, held in ESA/ESRIN (near Rome, Italy) during August (typically every two years) aims to provide stu- dents with an integrated end-to-end perspective going from measurement techniques to end-user applications. Website: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEM1G32XFVG_0.html

Space Camp Space Camp inspires trainees to pursue more Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Its home is at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® which is also the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Credit: Space Expo Website: http://www.spacecamp.com/camp/sc Figure 15. Astronaut trainer in Space Expo

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References 1. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/aerospace_engineer_107.pdf 2. http://www.interestingengineering.com/2012/03/what-is-aerospace-engineering.html 3. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/software_engineer_121.pdf 4. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/mechanical_engineer_113.pdf 5. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/electronics_engineer_110.pdf 6. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/aerospace_engineer_107.pdf 7. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/materials_engineer_112.pdf 8. http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/411/Nuclear-Engineer.html 9. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/engineering_technician_111.pdf 10. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/astrophysicist_100.pdf 11. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/geologist_143.pdf 12. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/geophysicist_153.pdf 13. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/astrobiologist_102.pdf 14. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/mathematician_116.pdf 15. http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/7831/Astronaut.html 16. http://deepimpact.umd.edu/gallery/inside_inst_mod.html 17. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_People_Behind_the_Astronauts.html 18. http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/7831/Astronaut.html 19. http://www.ehow.com/list_6701785_list-geology-careers.html 20. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/cfs/generic/astrobiologist_102.pdf 21. http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/teachers/fact_sheets.html#generic 22. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=131

Note: All websites included in this document were access in June-July 2012.

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